audio by subject economic development environment

MASS TRANSIT ON THE RISE. Skyrocketing gas prices are forcing millions of commuters and travelers to leave their car behind and choose public transportation. This year, ridership has been steadily increasing for buses, trains and subways. Enjoying wide public opinion support, many public transit systems are working on plans to expand.

AUTO BAILOUT VOTE. A 25 billion rescue plan for Detroit's car-making companies is being conditioned to a plan for rebuilding the industry. Environmentalists and consumer advocates say this plan must include conditions to make cars that use less or no gasoline and create green jobs.

ALSO, CALIFORNIA TACKLES GLOBAL WARMING. California's air quality authorities are finalizing the rules to implement a landmark greenhouse gas reduction law passed two years ago. A proposed idea to establish a cap-and-trade program is raising concerns among advocates for communities of color. They say if companies are encouraged to trade their emissions, low-income communities will be adversely impacted.

WATER WARS. California’s farmers are calling for more water, saying the drought in the state has put thousands of farm jobs at risk. Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed a water bond that would allocate billions of dollars to sending more water to the farmlands of the San Joaquin Valley. And Senator Feinstein is adding a similar measure to the federal jobs bill. Will more water actually improve farmworkers’ lives and food security?

OUR RIVER. The Colorado River has flown throughout the Southwestern United States for centuries, sustaining communities of Hispanic people in seven states. But chronic drought, climate change, and increasing development are reducing the amount of water flowing down the riverbed, and have even stopped the flow of some of the Colorado’s tributaries. A group of Latino leaders are urging congresspeople and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to take steps to protect what they call “nuestro río,” “our river.”

SEEDING JUSTICE. People working all over the world to build sustainable farms and grow food to feed their communities without using genetically modified organisms come together in California to share their practices. Leaders from the United States and Mexico who will be speaking at the Justice Begins with Seeds conference have been invited to this edition.

ALSO, SOLAR BILL OF RIGHTS. Environmental activists are pushing the governor of California to make it easier for people to put solar panels on their rooftops and at the same time make money off the energy they generate for the public grid. A leader from the Sierra Club joins this edition to speak about the Solar Bill of Rights.

Farm Drought. California, the leading agricultural producer, is experiencing one of the driest years on record and water shortages are harming farms and small towns. The farm drought has hit the San Joaquin Valley the hardest. Half a million acres are being fallowed, drinking water imperiled, and thousands of jobs are at risk. President Obama and Gov. Brown have signed drought emergency aid packages and California House Republicans are advancing a bill to get more water pumped into San Joaquin Valley farms. A panel looks into the effects of the current drought on farmworking families and communities, as well as proposals to improve water management around the state.